How about that!

After easily winning my first match, I went on to throw, push out, and beat down several more opponents.

"Gah, ugh, my… my body won't… move…!?"

"I struck your pressure point. You can't do anything but talk until I say so."

"I-I give up…!"

Sometimes I immobilized them like an heir to a secret assassination fist style passed down through generations.

"Take my fist technique! Hiii!! Yah! Hah!!"

"If it doesn't hit, it's nothing to worry about…!"

"Wha…!? When did I get to the edge of the ring…!? Ring out loss!!"

Sometimes I elegantly dodged like a certain red comet.

"I'll turn you into rust on my blade! En garde!"

"Getting cocky for someone like Nobi-inu! Dogaaah! Sinking Punch!!"

"Grueeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!"

And sometimes I just buried my fist in their face without a second thought, like a neighborhood bully.

(For the record, my opponent was a long-bodied dog beastkin that looked like a dachshund.)

Thanks to showcasing such a variety of fighting styles, the cheers grew louder with each victory, even though I kept winning in an instant.

This was mainly thanks to Aishia leading the charge with her clear bard's voice, cheering, "Kyaaa! Master, ahem. Karina the contender is so coooool! The strongest!!"

"Hahaha! How about that!"

When I raised both hands, cheers echoed through the Coliseum… Oh, wait. Maybe that was for the match in the ring next to me? Tehe. My bad.

By the way, I'd already knocked out 10 people in a row. Wait, wasn't this supposed to be a tournament? Is it round-robin? Or maybe all-you-can-eat soba style? Well, whatever. I don't mind.

They just keep sending opponents one after another, so it's basically assembly line work at this point.

If I remember right, the fight money increases with each win, so my rank is definitely going up to C! Gahaha!

… Maybe I should start pretending to struggle? I mused, while knocking down my opponent with a lariat anyway.

"Another instant kill!! Just what is this young lady!? The Adventurers' Guild has sent us an incredible assassin!!"

The referee, or rather at this point just an MC, was really getting into it.

Then, after I beat my 11th opponent, a beastkin dressed like a staff member climbed up onto the stage.

"Hiyaah—"

"Waaah! Wait, wait! I'm not a fighter, I'm staff!"

"Oh, whoops."

So they were actual staff.

I stopped my attack. Even if it was a lie it wouldn't matter, but the referee had stepped in too, so they were probably legit.

"P-p-perhaps you would like to t-take a break now?"

"Hm? Is that a hint to throw a fight and call it quits?"

"Oh, no! Not at all! Due to tournament progression, we need you to head to the waiting room for now!"

Well, why didn't you just say so from the start?

"Ah, I see. So everything up till now was just preliminaries, and the real deal starts next?"

"! Yes! Yes! Exactly right!"

I see, I see. So you had to beat 11 people first before you could enter the main tournament.

Well, I did basically enter on the spot, after all. As expected of a tournament with over 100 participants.